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Since I am slow on this WordPress thing and the use of Paypal. I am way, way behind in thanking those who have generously donated to the NCLM. Those funds will be used to help support future farmers become well formed in Catholic Agrarian thought.

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As a high school athlete I was prone to posting inspirational quotes on my locker and in our locker room. One post that I had up that I looked at often was from the famed college basketball coach Jim Valvano, also known as Jimmy V. It was very simple: “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.” It was particularly inspirational because it was said by a dying man. I think at some point in this journey back to the land I forgot about that indomitable spirit that once turned a gangly gawky boy into a national qualifying track athlete. I was not a great athlete, but I became one, but it was only after years of hard work and set backs. Lately I have been feeling that spirit come back. It is tamer and...

I am very blessed to be from a family of seven. My parents worked tirelessly to provide for us, and to give us many of the things they couldn’t afford growing up. That work ethic has led to my siblings going on to become successful in many different professions. We have a doctor, a lawyer, a carpenter, and an architect. I am always proud to tell others about my family. Then I come to myself…I’m a father. During the last few months I have taken a lot of time to reflect on life, and all of the good things I have. My last post marked a low point, and there wasn’t much of anywhere to go but up. Three weeks ago we welcomed our fourth child, and of course we haven’t slept much since...

I’m afraid I will never be able to respond to everyone who responded to my last post. I have been a bit overwhelmed by the number of emails and other contacts I have received. So, I wanted to say thank you to all of you. Your kindness, recommendations, and words have given me much to think about. We love this life that we set out to live. I will never regret my foray into farming. Despite the many hardships, I have a tremendous number of happy memories as well. For now, we will stay put and wait for a baby to come in a month or so. Hopefully, she won’t come before Christmas! Then we will begin taking our first steps forward. Until then we will be patient and wait on the right door....

It’s time for one of those posts where I’m squirmingly honest again. Sometimes you need to put these up to keep everything in perspective. I write this now as I stand at a crossroads again in my life. I stand wondering whether this whole venture into rural life has been worth it. What have I gained? What have I lost? Am I a better man or worse man for having spent five years in close connection to the raw earth. So many questions, so few answers. Where do I go from here? For a while (more than a year now) our family has been discerning our next steps. There has never been a clear path ahead of us since our discernment began. Now, we live in a home that is not our own, and want...